After missing the conference tournament for two straight years, the latest Lamar men's basketball recruiting class, rated the highest in the Steve Roccaforte era, couldn't have come at a better time.

Coach Roccaforte expects the seven-player class, which features six junior college players, to make an instant impact.

"The way we've recruited - regardless of who is coming back - all five starting spots are open," Roccaforte said. "I wouldn't be surprised if we had three or four new starters next season."

The class is ranked 15th in the nation by Basketball Times and was tied for 9th in the nation by HoopScooponline.com, but that ranking came when the class had 10 members. Rivals and Scout.com do not have Lamar in their top 25 rankings.

Nonetheless, bringing in the No. 1, No.4 and No. 15 leading scorers in Junior College Division 1 should help Lamar where it needs the most help - scoring. The Cardinals, who finished 14-18 overall, averaged 68.8 points per game in 2010.

"We went into our recruiting process needing better scorers from the standpoints of getting to the basket and of outside shooting ability," Roccaforte said. "We feel the players in this class feel these holes. We needed guys who can shoot better from the perimeter, and Tremell Adams, Michael James and Devon Lamb can really do that. They're all strong 3-point shooters."

The new additions will allow the team to play a more up-tempo style, something Roccaforte couldn't do the last two years because of injuries and the personnel the team had. When Lamar won the league championship in 2008, it averaged 85 points per game - tied for seventh in the nation.

"I really think we can go back to pressing and running," Roccaforte said. "When you can play up and down you can get a lot of easy baskets."

"Any time you have five guys on the court who can shoot from the outside, it's going to give you an advantage," Roccaforte said.

James, from Eastern Arizona, will give the team a true point guard - something it didn't have last season with Anthony Miles, a natural off guard, running the point.

Lamb, the leading scorer in JUCO Division 1 with a 27.8 point-per-game average, gives the team instant offense. Lamb was originally committed to the University of Houston, but changed his mind after coach Tom Penders retired. Lamb joins his high school and junior college teammate Davis.

Orlando Brazier, a 6-foot-7-inch, 235-pound center, will add depth inside, as will Darius Harris, a 6-foot-8-inch power forward from Memorial-the only local product in the class.

The talent on the perimeter also will open things up inside for the team's inside players, especially senior center Coy Custer, who is expected to be the team's leader next season.

"(Custer) has to step up and become more of a leader for us," Roccaforte said. "In the past, I've had four team captains, but I think this season I may start out with him as our only captain to put more responsibility on him and give him a chance to really step up."

To make room for the new players on the roster, four players - Justin Wesley, E.B. Davis, Reggie Mathis, and Jonathan Garza, have decided to transfer. Mathis, a junior, cracked the starting lineup by the end of the season, averaging 6.2 points per game. The other three played sparingly.

"It's really a situation where it was mutual," Roccaforte said. "At the beginning of the season I told the guys to come in and work as hard as you can, play as hard as you can, and if anybody wants to leave at the end of the year we'll help you. We felt at the end of the year it was in both parties' best interest for them not to come back."

All of the players have not officially made it into school, but Roccaforte anticipates them getting in. One concern with recruiting so many junior college players is academics.

"Some of them have some work to do, but it's not any different than any other time," Roccaforte said. "Our academics are in order - we have been graduating everybody."

Roccaforte expects an eighth member to join the class after the second summer session, but is not allowed to say who it is. The final player is reported to be 6-foot-1-inch point guard Tre Lynch of Lancaster High School, a two-star prospect according to HoopScooponline.com.

With eight returners and eight potential newcomers, it may take a while for the team to gel.

"We have a good mix," Roccaforte said. "We've recruited good guys and have good guys returning. If we work them hard enough there shouldn't be any issues."

The new additions give the Cardinals high expectations heading into the season. Roccaforte compared this class to his one in 2007. Those players were a part of the 2008 team that won the Southland Conference Regular season title and won 19 games, the most the Cardinals have won in Roccaforte's four seasons as head coach.

"Our ultimate goal is to win a championship-that's what we're here for," Roccaforte said. "There are a couple of things we are trying to do that we haven't done since I've been here-and that's win 20 games and go to the NCAA Tournament."

Coming along strong

While the new recruiting class was the main focus of Roccaforte's press conference, held at Cheddar's, he also talked about the development of 6-foot-10-inch, 220-pound freshman center Osas Ebomwonyi, who redshirted last season.

"(Ebomwonyi) is one of the best shot blockers I've been around as far as timing," Roccaforte said. "He has very long arms. He allows our press and defense to be a whole lot better. We can push full court and maybe trap more because he's the type of guy that can shut down the basket. I look for him to do some big things."

What Roccaforte said:

"You look at the NBA Finals, and they are running the same inbound plays and the same sets as us, so it made us realize we are running the right things, it's just the personnel that needs to change."

Ranked fourth in Junior College Division I in scoring with a 26.0 point per game average. Connected on 42 percent of his shots from the field. Rated the 40th best junior college player in the nation by Rivals.com.